On 12 and 13 November, the National Council Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC-N) paid a working visit to the European institutions in Brussels, during which the Switzerland–EU package was discussed. It strengthened its relations with colleagues from the European Parliament, particularly following the visit of a delegation from the AFET Committee to Bern last September. The discussions focused on the EU's decision-making process and the legal framework within which the Switzerland-EU package for stabilising and further developing the bilateral approach fits. Laurent Wehrli, chair of the FAC-N, acted as head of the delegation.

With a view to strengthening parliamentary cooperation, the committee met with various members of the European Parliament, including the vice-president responsible for relations with the EFTA countries, Christel Schaldemose (S&D, DK); the chair of the delegation for relations with the EFTA countries, including Switzerland, Andreas Schwab (EPP, DE); and the chairs of the foreign affairs and international trade committees.

The aim of the visit was to improve understanding the EU's institutional functioning and decision-making process, as well as the legal framework of which the Switzerland–EU package on stabilisation and development of the bilateral track is a part. Richard Szostak, the EU's chief negotiator for the package, also addressed the issue of participation in the EU legislation drafting process and dynamic alignment. In order to compare the planned provisions with other existing mechanisms, the committee also held discussions with the EFTA Secretariat in Brussels, which has almost 30 years of expertise in this area with regard to implementation of the Agreement on the European Economic Area.

The committee learnt about the EU's internal procedure for approving the package. Talks were also held with Thérèse Blanchet, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, and with the Council’s Danish presidency.

During meetings with the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS), FAC-N members had the opportunity to exchange views on topics of common interest in foreign policy and international trade, particularly with regard to US customs duties and measures to safeguard the EU that also affect Switzerland.

The delegation comprised 13 members: FAC-N chair Laurent Wehrli (FDP, VD), Sibel Arslan (vice-chair, Green Party, BS), Christine Badertscher (Green Party, BE), Christine Bulliard-Marbach (The Centre. EPP., FR), Laurence Fehlmann Rielle (SP, GE), Claudia Friedl (SP, SG), Niklaus-Samuel Gugger (The Centre. EPP., ZH), Fabian Molina (SP, ZH), Eric Nussbaumer (SP, BL), Pierre-André Page (SVP, FR), Hans-Peter Portmann (FDP, ZH), Farah Rumy (SP, SO) and Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter (The Centre. EPP., BL).

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